2025 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2025
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
(see also: 2023 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2016 - 2015)
October 3-5, 2025
North Carolina Seafood Festival
Morehead City, North Carolina
The weekend will include all of the following: seafood sampling, cooking demonstration by highly renowned chefs, seafood vendors, boat show, ship tours, entertainment on four stages, playground for kids, over 150 arts & crafts vendors, sporting events, rides, fireworks and Blessing of the Fleet. October 4, 2025 Spruce Pine BBQ Festival - Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Riverside Park. The event features a sanctioned professional BBQ competition, a wings contest, public tastings, live bluegrass, a cornhole tournament, championship clogging teams, craft vendors, BBQ equipment and supplies vendors, local food vendors, a 5K run, a kids play-area, and much, much more! October 4, 2025 Annual Sonker Festival - Mt. Airy, North Carolina
Don't know what sonker is? Then come to this annual festival and find out how delicious this deep dish fruit pie can be! Old-time and bluegrass music, quilt display, weacing, Scottish heritage, sonker, beverages, coffee. Presented by the Surry County Historical Society. October 4, 2025 Brushy Mountain Apple Festival
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
This festival pays tribute to the fruit grown and harvested each fall by apple orchardists from Northwestern North Carolina. Local apple growers set up throughout the festival selling their apples, apple cider, and dried apples. Over 425 arts & crafts vendors highlighting Appalachian heritage crafts, 100 food concessions, and four music stages. Attendance: 160,000. October 11-12, 2025 71st Annual Swansboro Mullet Festival
Swansboro, North Carolina
This annual event includes a parade, music, vendors, arts & crafts, kids' area and of course a mullet fry.
October 13-17, 2025 - National School Lunch Week - Nationwide
School Nutrition Association. October 16-26, 2025 North Carolina State Fair - Raleigh, North Carolina
Come and enjoy "Best. Day. Ever." - concerts, livestock displays and competitions, antique farm machinery, flower & garden show, miniature farm for children, village of yesteryear, "buy local, eat local" tent, and much more! Attendance: 1 million October 17-18, 2025 Annual Halifax County Harvest Days
Halifax, North Carolina
The Tri-County Horse Show, Antique Tractors and Tractor Pull, Antique Farm Equipment, Agricultutral Museum, Operating 1920's Sawmill, 1920's Rosenwald School, Stationary Peanut Thresher Demo, Children's Games, Farm Animal Exhibits, Food & Craft Vendors, Live Entertainment & much more!! October 17-26, 2025 Charlotte Craft Beer Week
Charlotte, North Carolina
Don’t miss a single day of the best craft beer week in North Carolina. You’ll have access to over 100 beer events all around the Queen City. CCBW was founded with the intention of sharing the craft beer message. With the help of craft beer industry groups and businesses (which abound in Charlotte), it offers North Carolina some of the best hop and barley themed events in the state. October 18, 2025 Apple Harvest Festival - Waynesville, North Carolina
Juried Arts & Crafts - Live Entertainment - Local Merchants - Great Food. More to do and always great fun! The one-day festival has grown into the region’s premier juried arts and crafts event and celebration of all things apple. Waynesville NC, nestled in the Smoky Mountains, is the perfect spot to enjoy a glorious fall day filled with fun. This year’s festival will feature exhibitors, live entertainment and great food. Come, and be among the crowd of more than 40,000 festival goers strolling the street! Take home a peck of locally grown apples from the county apple growers association. October 18, 2025 NC Fall Liver Mush Festival: Mush, Music & Mutts
Shelby, North Carolina
The Official State of North Carolina Fall Liver Mush Festival. Join in the fun with a traditional food festival that has something for everyone. Of course there is Liver Mush to sample, with a variety of preparations and choices. Live Music; LIver Mush; Pet Activities; Little Miss Liver Mush Pageant; Pumpkin Painting; Human Hamster Wheel; Liver Mush Eating Contest; Beer and Wine Garden; much more! October 18, 2025 35th Annual Taylorsville Apple Festival
Taylorsville, North Carolina
The festival provides a fantastic assortment of entertainment, food and vendors. In honor of the Apple there are an apple peeling contest, an apple dessert contest, an apple theme booth decorating contest, and of course lots of apple vendors from which to buy cider, a large variety of bagged apples, etc. Attendance: 35,000. October 18, 2025 21st Annual Yadkin Valley Grape Festival
Yadkinville, North Carolina
Wine tasting, motorcycle tour of the vineyards and chili cook-off. October 18, 2025 Outer Banks Seafood Festival
Nag's Head, North Carolina
The event features top draw entertainment mixed with great cooking of fresh, local seafood, a bit of education and storytelling about the region’s fishing heritage, cooking demonstrations, local craftspeople and a whole lot of family fun. Nearly 20 local restaurants have committed to serve their signature dishes featuring fish and seafood caught along the Outer Banks – resulting in an unmatched “fusion-style” (small portion sizes) sampling from some of the best restaurants on the beach. October 18, 2025 29th Annual Pumpkinfest - Franklin, North Carolina
You'll need your rest as Saturday's events bring new challenges and fun for everyone. Historic Downtown Franklin is full tilt with everything pumpkin on Saturday. Bring your pumpkin (or purchase one downtown) and sign up early for the World Famous Pumpkin Roll. The Costume Parade and Contest is another highlight of the day, but don't miss out on the great food, mountain arts & crafts, and entertainment including roving street performers. October 18-19, 2025 44th Annual North Carolina Oyster Festival
Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina
The coastal waters of Brunswick County produce an abundance of oysters and each year 30,000 people pay homage to the mighty mollusk at this annual event, which includes live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, festival food, a road race, kids' area, oyster shucking and an oyster stew cook-off. Attendance: 30,000. October 19, 2025 - 8th Annual Asheville VeganFest
Asheville, North Carolina October 20-25, 2025 NC Yam Festival - Tabor City, North Carolina
This agricultural festival includes a yam cook-off, yam exhibits, parade, Taste of Tabor, fire fighter competition, sweet potato auction, kids' area, arts & crafts and many more activities. October 25, 2025 - 41st Annual Barbecue Festival
Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington - 'The Barbecue Capital of the World' - The largest one day food festival in NC. Crowds average over 100,000 every year. Crafts, entertainment, childrens area, and the best BBQ in the world! Attendance: 100,000. October 25, 2025 National Dutch Oven Gathering (NDOG)
Shelby, North Carolina
Cleveland County Fairground. Join hundreds of black pot camp enthusiasts from around the country to share food and fun. Workshops, demonstrations and other activities are planned throughout the weekend. October 25, 2025 Whiskey Wine & Fire - Charlotte, North Carolina
This exclusive foodie celebration will feature: Whiskey Bars, Elegant Wines & Cocktails, Great Music, Tented Food Stations, Food Trucks, & Restaurants and Intimate Firepits throughout. Relax Around the Fire Gardens and enjoy an inspired take on fire-kissed BBQ, specialty grilling, and drink pairings. Enjoy the firebreathers and artists set the night ablaze. Please dress appropriately, the event is outdoors.
2024 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2024
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
events waiting for new datesOctober 19, 2024 - Dessert Wars - Charlotte, North Carolina
Dessert Wars National Championship.
2023 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2023
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
events waiting for new datesOctober 1, 2023 - Annual Pepperfest - Abundance, North Carolina
This year will look very different! Live music and filling up on delicious pepper-themed dishes and beverages made with delicious, locally grown sweet, hot and smoky NC peppers. Chefs & beverage makers compete for awards. Foodies taste all the different dishes made from peppers grown in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Children run wild, folks dance, laugh and enjoy the many different creations. pepper awards are crowned, local businesses and non profits share their offering and we all go home very happy, full & spicy! Live music, an artistic educational and cultural walkthrough, a 21+ lounge at faire game, a kid’s zone with a cooking class and pepper arts and crafts by circle city supper club, vendors, a small farmers’ market and fun for the entire family. October 21, 2023 Das Best Oktoberfest - Charlotte, North Carolina
Hundreds and Hundreds of ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE craft beers, wines, ciders, and schnapps will fill up your souvenir glass as you enjoy this day-long festival in beautiful Ballantyne’s Backyard.
2020 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2020
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
events waiting for new datesOctober 2-3, 2020 - Annual Enfield Peanut Festival
Enfield, North Carolina
EVENT CANCELED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS. Once again at the The Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary has agreed to host the Cake Wheel again this year and we're planning the chicken BBQ, as always. New and improved games will be provided for children's pleasure and, of course, the ever popular Ping Pong Drop. Several of our community members have made a beautiful quilt which will be raffled off and the Silent Auction will be filled with lots of good stuff to bid on. Also, new items of any sort are welcomed as donations for the Auction; art and crafts items are always well-received. Admission: Free. Rain Dates: October 6-7, 2017.
2019 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2019
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
events still waiting for new datesOctober 16-19, 2019 - TerraVITA Food & Drink Festival
Chapel Hill & Carrboro, North Carolina
TerraVita Food & Drink Festival has grown into a multi-day celebration that offers you the opportunity to attend a single event or The Whole Shebang – a comprehensive pass offering access to a combination of eight engaging events over three days. You can expect several new events and multiple extended experiences in our line-up. Taking it to a new level, TerraVita has added several non-ticketed events and parties available through The Whole Shebang and increased the number of chefs, drink experts and food artisans involved in evening dinners and tasting events. Get ready for a memorable weekend in the heart of North Carolina. October 18, 2019 Carolinas On Tap Brew Fest - Shelby, North Carolina
Brew Fest and Rotary Chili Cook-Off. The event begins at 5:00 pm and lasts until 9:30 pm. Join us for beer, chili and DJ! (also: https://clevelandchamber.org/carolinas-on-tap/ ) October 21, 2019 - Charlotte’s An Evening in the Garden with No Kid Hungry - Charlotte, North Carolina
Join us in the garden for an intimate evening under the stars full of great food, drinks, and laughter.
2018 NORTH CAROLINA - October 2018
Food Festivals, and Other Food, Wine & Beer Events
events still waiting for new datesOctober 4-28, 2018 - THE GLOW: A Jack O' Lantern Experience
Charlotte, North Carolina
THE GLOW features an enchanting and unforgettable wonderland of more than 5,000 hand carved, illuminated pumpkins transformed into beautiful landscapes, iconic figures and larger than life jack o’ lantern structures. Stroll down Jack’s Lane with a fall beverage and marvel at the amazing details created by our talented artists! These glowing gourds are the perfect backdrop for a few fall photos too, so grab your camera and GLOW with us! October 6, 2018 - World Beer Festival--Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Presented by All About Beer Magazine, the World Beer Festivals are among the premier beer events in the country, with sampling of beers from over 100 breweries, education, and the best local music and food. Part of the proceeds will benefit a local cause.
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